Knitting Daily : lace sweater

The Icelandic Lace Shawl & 6 More Free Lace Knitting Patterns

KD Sandi — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:35:00 GMT

I had the honor of being invited to speak to Toronto's Downtown Knit Collective last week, and one could not have asked for a more gracious and delightful audience. (Thank you, DKC knitters!) One of the highlights for me was an elderly woman in the front row, whose nimble fingers worked on a knitted lace shawl--and a rather intricate lace shawl at that--throughout the entire meeting. She was listening closely to everything, but she was somehow still able to keep the precise rhythm of those countless lacy yarnovers going without pause. (She's my new hero. I can't imagine having a hundred other people around me as I try to remember if I'm supposed to be doing an ssk or a k2tog.)

Watching her knit--and knit so effortlessly...and did I mention she wasn't using a printed pattern?--I was reminded of all the women who have gone before us, needles clicking in the creation of gorgeous knitted lace shawls that history has often relegated to a footnote--or worse, to a stereotyped, nondescript garment for old women to wear.

So when we get to pull an actual lace shawl out of history, and have a modern knitter write up the pattern for us, and publish it for everyone to enjoy...that gives me a deep sense of joy and pride. Joy, that not all the creations of women are lost to time and footnotes; pride, that I got to have even a tiny, teensy part in helping bring these patterns to you.

The Story of the Icelandic Lace Shawl

Called the Thórdís shawl, the original of this traditional Icelandic lace shawl is part of the Icelandic Craft Council’s collection of textiles. It is thought to have been knitted by Thórdís Egilsdóttir, a resident of a small fishing village on the west coast of Iceland who was well known for her craftsmanship and skill with handspun yarns.

I asked Jeane Hutchins, the editor-in-chief of PieceWork magazine, if she would like to write up a little piece about how the shawl came to Knitting Daily:

I am so pleased that the Icelandic Shawl from PieceWork’s out-of-print July/August 1996 issue has become a part of Knitting Daily. The list of people responsible for bringing this to fruition is lengthy and begins with PieceWork’s first editor, Veronica Patterson, who assigned the project, followed by Carol Noble who adapted the design and wrote the instructions. Next comes the member of the knitalong who let Amy Sapp, a member of our customer support staff, know that there were people who wanted to make this shawl. Amy forwarded the e-mail about the knitalong to me, and I talked to several people to see how best to get this material into the hands of those who wanted it: Knitting Daily would be the perfect venue. So next on the list is our fabulous technical editor, Lori Gayle. And then there’s Sandi, Kat, and the rest of the web team who made it all happen. So there you have it! My personal thanks to each of one on my list. To those of you who will knit the shawl—enjoy!

Enjoy, indeed--from all of us at Interweave Press.

Get full instructions and charts for the Icelandic Lace Shawl in our free lace knitting ebook--Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Are you addicted to lace knitting? Or maybe you've admired some of the gorgeous knitted lace patterns out there and want to give lace knitting a try? Here are seven of Interweave's top knitted lace patterns, gathered together in one FREE ebook for you.

Whether you are a first time lace knitter, or a seasoned expert, you'll enjoy the timeless beauty of knitting lace. Get these stunning projects that will continue to inspire, and be loved for generations to come. You'll want to make every one of these lace patterns, so download your free eBook now and get started (and don't forget to tell a friend so they can enjoy their own copy!)

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Knitting An Heirloom (in just two weeks!)

KD Sandi — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:58:00 GMT

Note from Sandi: The staff projects are always one of my favorite parts of the new issue! I love seeing how each staff person takes a single idea and interprets it in her own way. In the Summer 2009 issue of Interweave Knits, the assignment was to "knit an heirloom"--not an easy assignment! The first of these staff heirloom projects is today's Bride's Sachet Purse, designed by Laura Rintala, Knits' managing editor. Here's Laura to tell you the story behind her family's new heirloom:

Bride’s Sachet Purse
by Laura Rintala

When the “Let’s do an heirloom knits staff project” request came just days after the “I’d like to marry your daughter” phone call, my brides-and-babies vision of heirloom, and conflict of which to focus on, was already settled. As the “something old, something new” verses rolled through my mind, along with visions of gossamer and slightly iridescent lace shawls, a new challenge was added to the project.

The U.S. military’s personal request to have our future son-in-law comfortably stationed on a base over 5000 miles away, and on another continent, expedited the engagement to a fraction of what any knitting mother should have to work with. The wedding date was set a scant 2½ months after the engagement—those 2½ months being the busiest in our year: the Christmas holidays. Considering several other deadlines, my knitting time was about two weeks.

So the ideas of a lovely knitted lace shawl for the bride, phfft! Out the window—along with any notions of something for the bridesmaids. But it had to be lace! It was for the bride, on her wedding day. The only girl we’d be giving away, ever. How fair was two weeks—particularly when you’re already over your head with impending Christmas projects?

But there are two things in life that just don’t wait… love and the U.S. military’s personal requests to its employees.

My shawl ideas turned to lace: lace that would be necessary for the wedding day, and still feasible within the time constraints. A little pocket for the bride in which to carry those few little necessities (something old, something new at least!) on her wedding day. The knitted lace purse (complete with beaded cinching wrist strap and iridescent beads at the tips of the lace edging) is worked in the round from the bottom up to the lace edging and features all the elements of the shawl I’d have liked to make. This heirloom came together in a fraction of the time and went down the aisle tucked into her hand, under a bouquet of stargazer lilies and a radiant—nay, dazzling—smile. Ah … young love.

-- Laura

Download the free pattern for the Bride's Sachet Purse

Sandi Recommends: Knitted Lace of EstoniaWant to make your own family heirloom, and have a bit more time to plan ahead?

There are few books better for creating your own lace heirlooms than Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. Each shawl and scarf in this book is rooted in generations of tradition from the Estonia people, and Nancy brings them to life vividly, with gorgeous color photographs, extensive step-by-step instructions, and an entire illustrated section on the techniques that make these shawls so special. Since getting my own copy of Knitted Lace of Estonia, I have already completed one of the beautiful stoles for my mother--the Leaf and Nupp Shawl--and have started on a second. (My sister is not-so-subtly hinting that maybe she'd like one too.) Knit the bride in your life the shawl of a lifetime; or a new babe a christening blanket to pass down through the generations.

Ask for Knitted Lace of Estonia at your local yarn shop, or purchase it online here.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

New Free eBook! 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

KD Sandi — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:01:00 GMT

Great Free Lace Pattern eBook:
Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents
7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Are you addicted to lace knitting? Or maybe you've admired some of the gorgeous knitted lace patterns out there and want to give lace knitting a try? Here are seven of Interweave's top knitted lace patterns, gathered together in one FREE ebook for you.

There's a knitted lace pattern here for everyone, from beginning lace knitter to advanced! Beginners can try their hands at a lovely knitted lace scarf (there's two easy lace scarves to chose from), then move on to a triangular lace shawl, a pair of knitted lace mitts, and a knitted lace hat. More experienced lace knitters will love the Icelandic Lace Shawl. The knitted lace cardigan is worked on large needles and uses a traditional lace knitting pattern for a knockout lace sweater. Something for everyone!

Download Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

We want to know what you think!

The Knitting Daily Galleries have become a hallmark of our newsletters over the past two years. But are they "just for fun" or do they play an active role in what you knit and how you knit it? We've constructed a short survey to find out how you use the Galleries. And if you'd like another look at the Galleries, you can view them here.

Thanks so much!
-- Sandi

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Sandi's Lace Lifeline Tips (and a free lace project!)

KD Sandi — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:22:00 GMT

I've been promising photos of my version of the Leaf and Nupp Shawl, a pattern out of Interweave's new lace knitting book, Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. (Want more info about this nifty book? Go here!) So: Photos! I'm more than half-done with the center section; the four-sided border will be added after the center is done.

I initially began this project for the post with Eunny's video on provisional cast-ons, and then I decided to practice a few nupps after watching the Knitting Daily TV video with Nancy Bush on making nupps, because that looked like fun, and so of course I had to knit the first few pattern repeats to GET to the nupps...right?

And then I had to knit a little more, because the pattern was indeed pretty darn fun. And then I wanted to see if I could improve on my first nupps and make BETTER nupps. So I did a little more.

Note that I never made a gauge swatch--because the project started out as sort of one big gauge swatch! The result? My gauge is smaller than the one specified in the pattern, so that my shawl is coming out narrower and shorter than the one in the book. I'm making it longer by adding additional pattern repeats to the center section...which is great, except that more pattern repeats means more border stitches to pick up around the edges. I estimate that my border will have over 1,400 stitches in it...yikes. I was contemplating making the shawl wider by adding more border rounds...but at more than 1,400 stitches per round, I might have to contemplate that idea just a bit longer.

As I knit the center section, I started throwing in lifelines at the end of each repeat, out of habit mostly. (I still wasn't admitting to myself that this was a Real Project for some reason.) Because there are so many pattern repeats for this long-and-lovely shawl, I'm using a lot of lifelines--and here's a few new things I am learning along the way.

Sandi's Lace Lifeline Tips

1. Thread the needle through the live stitches on your knitting needle, instead of trying to pick out stitches in a row already worked.

2. Turn your knitting over so that you are threading from right to left across the back of your knitting. Lots of purl bumps make it easier to see the stitches. Also, if the thread runs through the back of each loop, there is plenty of room in the front loop when you are knitting the next row.

3. Do NOT thread the lifeline through your stitch markers! (Ask me how I learned this.) Thread your needle through the last stitch right before the marker, bring the lifeline around across the outside of the marker, and then thread your needle through the next stitch after the marker.

4. Place a lifeline in the last row of each pattern repeat as an easy way to count repeats.

5. Use a thin, smooth yarn--such as a cotton crochet thread--so that the lifeline will pull out easily when you are done. I've heard of many knitters who use unwaxed dental floss...clever and inexpensive.

6. Cut the lifeline long enough so that it won't pull out at either end when you spread the stitches out.

7. Secure the ends by tying each one around a stitch marker to help keep them in place. (You can see this in the detail photo of my scarf.)

8. If The Worst happens and you have to rip back: Take the knitting off your needle, and carefully rip back to the row BEFORE the lifeline. Then slowly rip back a few stitches at a time as you put the live "lifeline stitches" back on the needle, using the lifeline to guide where your needle ought to go. Count stitches as you put them back on, and insert stitch markers as needed. Once everything is back on the needle, re-count just to be sure, and then off you go!

If you have more tips for lace knitting, leave them in the comments so we can all learn from each other's experiences.

Oh, and by the way: The shawl became a Real Project once my mom saw it while I was visiting her in Chicago last month. She wanted to know who it was for; I told her it was "just for fun," so it wasn't really for anyone just yet. She frowned, and I realized that I had given the Wrong Answer. I thought a bit, and said, "Maybe Liz (one of my sisters) would like it?" The Motherly Frown deepened. Finally, I got the point. "Oh. Wait. This is for YOU, Mom!" Big Motherly Smile, and we all burst into laughter now that I had finally answered her question correctly.

Happy Weekend Knitting!

-- Sandi

Hankering for something lacy, but don't have the time to commit to a scarf? How about a pair of lovely fingerless mitts? Download this free pattern for the Wild and Warm Guanaco and Vicuña Lacy Fingerless Gloves and you'll be all set for a little lacy treat for yourself or to stuff into someone's stocking. The instructions give plenty of detailed information for using either your own guanaco*/vicuña** handspun yarn, or any commercial laceweight yarn you fall in love with at your local yarn shop!

Download the free pattern for the Wild and Warm Lacy Fingerless Gloves

* A Guanaco is a camelid, relative to the llama and alpaca. It's a native of the high Andes mountains in South America; and grows to be about 4 feet tall. The fiber of a guanaco is incredibly soft and warm, and is considered a luxury fiber. However, a guanaco can run at speeds up to 35 mph, so you have to catch it first!

** A Vicuña is another camelid. Its fiber is reputed to be the finest in the world, which led to its near extinction in the last century. Vicuñas are protected now in their native South America. Alpacas are close relatives; there is a mixed breed called "paco-vicuña" raised by a few breeders here in North America.

Learn more about spinning guanaco and vicuña fibers in the Winter 2008 issue of Spin-Off magazine.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Nancy Bush Shares Her Passion For Estonian Lace

KD Sandi — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:01:00 GMT

Note from Sandi: Ever wonder if famous designers look back on their early designs and say, "I would do that differently today"? We wondered this, too! Over the years, Nancy Bush, author of Interweave's new book Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions, as well as the classic Folk Knitting in Estonia, has brought us dozens of patterns from this small but lovely European nation. We asked Nancy to take a look at a design she published seven years ago in the pages of Interweave Knits magazine, and to share with us what she has learned since then about Estonian lace knitting--and how she might go about knitting that same scarf differently now.

So please give a warm Knitting Daily welcome to Nancy Bush!

Greetings Knitting Daily Knitters!

I have been in awe of all of those knitter-bloggers out there, as it seems to me that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all the knitting I want to do done, let alone read about it and write about it as well. But, now Interweave has given me this chance to see what it is like, I am already having fun!

I love talking, writing and thinking about Estonia and Estonian knitting, so am delighted to get the chance to share my passion on Knitting Daily.

When I designed this scarf (titled Estonian Lace in the Fall 2001 issue of Interweave Knits), I was a novice Estonian lace knitter. I had studied shawls I had purchased in Estonia, made numerous samples and played around with a number of shawl and scarf ideas. Today, after working for 3 plus years on my new book, Knitted Lace of Estonia, I feel I am no longer a novice. Perhaps not yet an expert, but definitely someone with a bit more knowledge than before and also with some opinions.

Now that I know what I know about Estonian lace knitting, there are a few things I would do differently if I was making this scarf again. This isn’t to say that it isn’t fine the way it is, but I think all of us go through the moment when we realize that it could have been done differently, for whatever reason. That is the place I am at today.

First, this scarf was inspired by a way of creating scarves and shawls in Estonia that I consider ‘modern’. In the traditional way of making a shawl or scarf in Estonia, if there is a lacy, scalloped edge it is attached by sewing. The center is knit first, set aside and the edge is knit, usually in two pieces, and then sewn to the center piece. I was rather horrified when I realized this, as the idea of sewing the edge to the center was not a happy thought for me. This construction made sense, when I realized that the early shawls were knit on short (9 or 10 inch long) single point handmade wooden needles. The edges were made on these same needles (some edges can have 250 stitches - on half!). In the original text for the pattern, I stated that the scarf follows the design of the (traditional) Haapsalu rätik or Haapsalu shawl. This, I now know, is not true, as it follows the design of a modern version of these traditional shawls, originally made in Haapsalu (a town on Estonia’s west coast).

My first experience with knitting Estonian shawls was a lesson I had with a master knitter in Tallinn, Estonia, my friend Hilja Aavik. She spent the day with me and taught me how she made her wondrous ‘modern-style’ shawls. She taught me how to make a nupp (button or knob - rhymes with soup) - a bobble-like feature in Estonian lace patterns, and also how to add a lacy scalloped edge onto a shawl or scarf, by picking up stitches and knitting the edge onto the center. I assumed this was how it was done, countrywide ever since these shawls were first made in the early 1800’s. As I studied further, asked questions and stared at shawls, I learned that this way of adding an edge was ‘modern’ and logically was ‘invented’ (no one knows by whom) with the coming of circular needles. These needles allowed all the stitches around the shawl to be picked up onto one circular needle. Then the edge is knitted, circularly and the corners are mitered (using increases) as the knitting progresses. The outer edge is bound off, with doubled yarn for strength and stability.

If I was going to design this scarf today: I would first state that it is done in the ‘modern’ method used in Estonia, not the traditional one. I would begin it exactly as I did those many years ago and knit the center in the same way. However, I would knit more rows of the center, or make it longer by quite a bit, as I think 55 to 60" finished would be a better length than the 46” that this one measures. Then, when picking up the lacy edge, I would pick up more stitches than I originally did, maybe 10 stitches more across the top and bottom of the scarf (so, instead of picking up 32, I might pick up 42 sts on each if the scarf is being made to the original 46" length). I also would pick up more stitches from the sides, maybe adding in an extra 20 sts total on each side (so 222 instead of 202 for the original length). If I were making a longer scarf, then I would of course need to pick up proportionately more stitches--perhaps even more than 3 stitches picked up for every 2 edge stitches. These added stitches will give a bit more ‘drape’ to the edges and the edge will stretch easier in blocking.

I am happy to have a chance to think about this pattern again and to give it a ‘new life’ on Knitting Daily.

-- Nancy Bush

Download the original Estonian Lace Scarf pattern for free

P.S. from Sandi: We also have Nancy's stunning Estonian Summer Shawl pattern for sale in our online store! This triangular shawl has an all-over Lily of the Valley lace motif and would make a spectacular wedding shawl.

Editor's Pick: Knitted Lace of Estonia

Estonia is a tiny country in Northern Europe; set on the shores of the Baltic Sea, it is neighbor to Latvia, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. We knitters know about this beautiful country through its rich local knitting traditions, brought to us with passion and dedication by Nancy Bush, author of Interweave favorites such as Folk Knitting in Estonia, Folk Socks, Knitting on the Road, and Knitting Vintage Socks. Nancy's newest book from Interweave is the gorgeous and fascinating Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions.

It's no secret to Knitting Daily readers that I am a lace knitting junkie. I've seen a lot of books on lace knitting, but this one is special. How special? Special enought that I sat down and read it cover to cover as soon as I got it (work deadlines? what work deadlines?) and then carried it around in my knitting bag for weeks, so that I could pull it out and look at it whenever a wave of Lace Lust hit.Yeah, it's that good. Want to see for yourself? Take a look inside the book.

Look for Nancy Bush's books at your local yarn shop or purchase them in our online store. But try your local yarn shop first--local yarn shops are the heart of our communities, and they deserve your loyalty and your business.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Lace Knitting Video Tip From Nancy Bush

KD Sandi — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:47:00 GMT

As promised, this week is a Week of Treats for all you Knitting Daily folks.

Today's knitting treat: A lace knitting technique video for you--PLUS we introduce two new lace patterns for Knitting Daily readers!

Last week, I talked about Nancy Bush's fab new book Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions, and tormented, er, tempted you with a photo of one of the patterns. That pattern, the Leaf and Nupp Shawl, contains (not surprisingly) traditional stitches called "nupps"--little raised bumps that lend texture and beauty. Since I had started knitting the Leaf and Nupp Shawl out of a sense of personal sacrifice and duty to my beloved Knitting Daily readers, I realized that I had better knit far enough in the pattern so that I could at least talk about nupps with some level of intelligence, if not clarity (perhaps asking me to add "wit" to this list is asking for too much).

So I bravely knitted to the nupp section...and I nupped. Then, I ripped. I ripped because my nupps were uneven, and tight, and some of them had dropped loops in them...not good. So I tried again. Nupp, rip...Nupp, rip. Nupp. Rip. It became a charming little rhythmic exercise, except that it was making me cranky and I was starting to speak harshly to the poor baby alpaca yarn I am using. (It's not the yarn's fault!)

That's when I found out we had this video of Nancy demonstrating the nupp stitch for a new episode of the upcoming second season of Knitting Daily TV.

WOW. I watched it a couple of times, and then went back to my nupp row. Nupp...nupp...nupp...hey! I got it! My nupps now are even and pretty; I no longer drop loops all over the place.

So: For the greater good of beautiful lace knitting everywhere, here is Nancy Bush demonstrating the Estonian nupp stitch.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

(problems viewing this youtube video? View it here)

Wednesday's treat: Nancy Bush herself! Join us as Nancy talks about her early experience designing Estonian lace, and what she has learned since then.

Friday's treat: Is it bunnies? Is it chocolate? Is it sparkly? Join us Friday to find out. (I am such a tease.)

Enjoy!

-- Sandi

Nancy Bush Patterns Available On Knitting Daily!

In honor of Nancy's new book, Knitted Lace of Estonia, we have two gorgeous lace shawls available on Knitting Daily:

The Estonian Lace Scarf is a free download until December 11th, after which it will be available in our online store. This pattern was originally published in the now out-of-print Fall 2001 issue of Interweave Knits.

The Estonian Triangular Summer Shawl is for sale in the Knitting Daily store. This lovely shawl was published in the July/August 2008 issue of Piecework magazine.

Editor's Pick: Knitted Lace of Estonia

Want more great video techniques?

The video above is a preview of the Series 200 Knitting Daily TV. If you missed some of the first season's episodes and want them all for your personal library, you can buy the first season on DVD right now!

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Shaping Lace: Increasing

KD Sandi — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:20:00 GMT

On Monday, we talked about decreasing in lace; today, we'll talk about increasing in a lace pattern. Remember these helpful tips:

Lace pattern from the Apres Surf Hoodie

Again, let's use this simple lace pattern as our example:

Row 1: *K1, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo; rep from * to end.
Row 2: Purl.

As we did on Monday, we find that when you "pair up" the decreases and yarnovers, you can see that this pattern has two halves to it:

K1, yo, k2, ssk —— and then —— k2tog, k2, yo.

To work the first half properly, you need five stitches; to work the second half properly, you need four stitches. So besides noting where the "pairs" are, you also need to note where they are in relationship to each other. It helps to break the pattern up into sections, with one yarnover/decrease pair per section.

Now we're ready to start increasing. For simplicity, we're only going to talk about increasing (using a simple M1) at the beginning of Row 1.

After a total of four increase rows, we have four extra stitches outside the first lace repeat, as follows:

First inc row:

Second inc row:

Third inc row:

Fourth inc row:

Now we have enough to work the second half of the lace pattern AND continue the increasing, as follows:

Fifth inc row:

Here's how the next few increase rows would play out:

Sixth inc row:

Seventh inc row:

Eighth inc row:

Ninth inc row:

Tenth inc row:

You've now added an extra repeat to the beginning of each row.

Icelandic Shawl

You can use this same logic to work out increases at the end of a row, just as you can use the logic presented on Monday to work out decreases at the end of a row. It does get a little hairy to try and do this on the fly, however, so I highly recommend either charting things out, or writing out the shaping rows before you plunge into the knitting, just to save your sanity.

The overall trick is to recognize one of two situations:

(1) When you don't have enough stitches near the edge to work both the paired decrease/yarnover for the lace pattern AND the decrease you need to work for the shaping. If you have enough stitches to do both, do both. If you don't, then bye-bye lace pattern, hello plain stockinette.

(2) When you have enough extra stockinette stitches to work a part of the lace pattern properly. You might be able to work only half of the pattern, but that's enough to keep the lace pattern contiguous.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Who Invented Lace In The First Place?

KD Sandi — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:18:00 GMT

Please Welcome Today's Guest Editor: Jeane Hutchins of Piecework magazine!

Note: This week's free pattern, Knitted Lace Trimmings, came to us from Piecework, and so I invited Jeane to write today's post. Now heeeerrrre's Jeane!

I hope you are having lots of fun with Knitting Daily’s Lace Week! As the editor of Knitting Daily’s sister publication, PieceWork, I am delighted to be a part of Lace Week and to offer several knitted lace patterns from the PieceWork archives for free.

PieceWork looks at the historical background of needlework, and we’ve covered everything from horsehair hitching to the “Pearly Kings and Queens of London” to Rattlesnake Kate. But knitting always has been, and is, a major component of the magazine, and I have a particular love of lace knitting.

Free Pattern: Knitted Lace Trimmings

I honestly don’t know why I am so fascinated with lace. Who even came up with the concept of lace? The best guess is that some ingenious person decided to emulate a spider’s web, and over the centuries, lace has evolved as it has gone in and out of fashion. The precursors to needle and bobbin lace were undoubtedly drawn-thread and cutwork embroidery; as more and more threads were withdrawn or cut away, the fabric became more airy. The next logical step was to create the fabric itself.

By the mid-sixteenth century, needle- and bobbin-lace collars, cuffs, ruffs, and cravats were the rage with Europe’s upper crust and royalty—the higher and wider the better; settlers in America followed suit. Lace was made from the finest linen, silk, gold, and silver threads and was very expensive (although the majority of actual makers earned mere pennies for their labors). Countries fought over lace, imposed laws regulating the wearing of lace (called sumptuary laws), and enticed lacemakers from other countries to emigrate.

The intrigue surrounding lace, particularly in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, is amazing: People smuggled lace from one place to another, including in coffins. By the end of the eighteenth century, lace aprons, kerchiefs, capes, coverlets, bed sets, fans, parasols, curtains, and shawls were produced. The rage for lace continued.

It seems quite logical to me that skilled knitters in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries would have knitted lace to emulate the widely popular bobbin and needle laces of the time. We do know that lace knitting in the Shetland Islands was in full force and well known by at least 1840, and that numerous countries, including Russia, Estonia, and Iceland, went on to establish their own lace knitting traditions. And all of this brings me back to today. From Knitting Daily’s Lace Week to various blogs, more and more people are becoming interested in lace knitting. I, for one, am thrilled!

—Jeane Hutchins
Editor, PieceWork

Questions or comments? Let us know! After all, reading the comments is one of the favorite parts of the day for all of us here...

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Shaping Lace: Decreasing

KD Sandi — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:17:00 GMT

One of the most-asked questions in knitting land is: How do I do shaping in lace? Great question, as lace already has decreases and increases all over the place! How do you add extra decreases or increases without messing up the prettiness?

Papyrus Lace from Lace & Eyelets

One easy way is to use changes in needle size to accomplish your shaping—this way, no extra increases/decreases are needed. Let the gauge do the heavy lifting, in other words.

If, however, you are using a pattern where gauge changes aren't suitable, then you have to figure out how to add the increases and decreases into the lace pattern itself.

Lace patterns are (usually) formed by paired increases and decreases: for every yarnover, somewhere nearby there is a decrease. It helps to use a pencil to lightly circle the paired decreases/yarnovers in your pattern so you can clearly see which stitches "belong together."

These pairs are critical in terms of maintaining both the integrity of the lace pattern and the overall stitch count of the row. Always keep these pairs together. If you don't have enough stitches to work an entire pair, then forget about working the pair and treat the stitches as though they were plain stockinette.

Example: Decreasing

Let's use this simple lace pattern as our example:

Row 1: *K1, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo; rep from * to end.
Row 2: Purl.

When you "pair up" the decreases and yarnovers, you can see that this pattern has two halves to it:

K1, yo, k2, ssk —— and then —— k2tog, k2, yo.

To work the first half properly, you need five stitches; to work the second half properly, you need four stitches. So besides noting where the "pairs" are, you also need to note where they are in relationship to each other. It helps to break the pattern up into sections, with one yarnover/decrease pair per section.

Now we're ready to start decreasing. For simplicity, we're only going to talk about decreases at the beginning of Row 1.

Notice that a decrease at the beginning of that row will use up both the k1 and the first stitch of the k2, "stepping over" the space where you normally would work a yarnover. The solution? Forget about the yarnover AND its mate, the ssk, treating the ssk as two stockinette stitches. In fact, while you work your decrease, you are going to treat that entire first half as five stockinette stitches, as follows:

the initial k1 and first half of the original k2

the second half of the original k2

the original ssk

After the first decrease row, you no longer have enough stitches to work the first half of the lace pattern (you have four, you need five), so work them as stockinette. (However, you can continue to work the second half—the next four stitches—in the lace pattern.) On subsequent rows, work decreases as needed in that stockinette block until you arrive at a row where you have to use the first stitch of the k2tog (in the second half of the repeat) for part of the next decrease. On that row, you'd then treat all four of the second-half stitches as stockinette.

Here are the decrease rows written out for clarity's sake:

Row 1:

Row 2 and all wrong side rows:

Row 3:

Row 5:

Row 7:

Row 9:

Row 11:

Row 13:

And you can take it from there yourselves!

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

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A Cute Use For Sock Yarn: Free Lacy Hat Pattern

KD Sandi — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Katie Himmelberg, style editor of Knitscene and assistant editor of Interweave Knits, once again joins us as today's guest poster. Today, she talks about the her design process for Katie's Fountain Hat, our new free pattern, which was inspired by a beloved movie:

Katie wearing The Fountain Hat

I was so excited to do a movie-inspired project for our Spring staff collection. My husband and I watch quite a few movies, often at home, which is a perfect opportunity for me to get some multi-tasking done and knit along while we watch. We had recently rented The Fountain and the visuals were still fresh in my mind and inspired this hat.

The Fountain is a movie that's hard to describe and didn't get the greatest reviews, but I love it all the same. I was just as engrossed by the stunning cinematography and special effects as I was with the storyline. So this hat is a visual representation of what the movie looked like to me. The easy lace pattern uses just yarn overs and k2togs to form a starburst pattern that disintegrates into a field of dots--the three different pattern areas on the hat represent the three eras of the love story in the movie.

I was absolutely enthralled by this yarn. The molten honey gold shade, the smoothness of the merino; ShiBui Sock is a wonderful lightweight yarn that makes this hat perfect for a chilly day. It's also a nice use for sock yarn, a plus for someone like me who doesn't love to knit socks!

Bertha badly wanted to try on this hat...

Tips:

I used stitch markers to separate each chart repeat. It cuts down on the counting needed to follow the chart, and helped make my knitting go more smoothly. Marking the repeats doesn't work for every lace repeat, but it will for this pattern.

Try knitting this hat on a 16" circular needle. I love doing this as an alternative to dpns, though you do need to switch to dpns to shape the crown.

You can add elastic thread to the ribbing of the hat if you need a tighter fit. This is a good thing to remember if you're ever faced with a hat that is too loose or won't stay put!

by Katie Himmelberg
Assistant Editor, Interweave Knits
Style Editor, Knitscene

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

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Just In Time for the Oscars! Lacy Mesh Gloves

KD Sandi — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Katie Himmelberg, style editor of Knitscene and assistant editor of Interweave Knits, is today's guest poster! Here's what she has to say about our new free pattern, the Lacy Mesh Gloves, designed by Eunny Jang.

Eunny Jang's Lacy Mesh Gloves

Who could be a formidable match to the ever dapper Cary Grant’s cat burglar in “To Catch a Thief”? Why, none other than the icon of ladylike style, Grace Kelly, of course! In 1955, a lady of her decorum was surely not to be spied without the proper attire for any occasion, and her character’s driving gloves in this film sure fit the bill.

I have a soft spot for the days when ladies wore hats and gloves; I’ve often wished that I could pull off a smashing little topper or a pair of pure lily white gloves, but in truth, they suit neither my lifestyle nor my personal style. But a pair of lacy gloves in an off-white no-one-will-notice-I-spilled-something-on-these shade (also known as “beige”) would be perfect with many of my usual spring outfits. I could see myself zipping around in a fitted denim jacket, full printed skirt, and these dainty gloves.

Though I’ve never knit a pair of gloves, I think these would be a breeze to complete; the open lacey pattern will knit up fast and the construction is straightforward. I think I’d add a flashy vintage button to the slit to personalize the pair. Mix it up; whether you choose a funky or understated color, these gloves can become your own to suit your style.

by Katie Himmelberg
Assistant Editor, Interweave Knits
Style Editor, Knitscene

Fearless Knitting Tip!

Never tried knitting gloves before?

Here's a couple of Sandi's knitting "finger" tips: (Sorry. I couldn't resist.)

Gloves aren't that hard, just a tad fiddly—but hey, we're fearless knitters here, right? If you can master a few dpns, then you can definitely knit a glove. Here's the scoop: You knit the wrist and hand in the round on dpns, then divide up the stitches for each finger, putting four of the fingers on waste yarn while you work on one finger at a time—again in the round on dpns. Each finger is just a few stitches per needle, so this is where it can get fiddly!

Tip #1: Short needles help save your sanity. Use very short dpns for the fingers (there are 4-5" sets made especially for this purpose) and keep breathing! Soon you'll have four fingers, a thumb, and perpetual glove-maker's bragging rights.

Tip #2: Waste yarn, yes. Stitch holders, nope. When the instructions say "use waste yarn to hold the other finger stitches"—believe them! Waste yarn helps you fold the "other" fingers out of the way while you concentrate on the one you are currently knitting. If you use stitch holders for the "other fingers," the stitch holders might get snagged on your dpns as you work your way around.

Tip #3: Not all waste yarns are created equal. I use a really smooth, colorfast cotton yarn in a bright, contrasting color to the yarn I am knitting with, so I can clearly see where all my stitches are.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

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Shawl Updates and What YOU Are Knitting

KD Sandi — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 06:00:00 GMT

My own weekend knitting

Last Friday, I innocently asked what was on your needles...and oh my goodness. Do you people ever SLEEP? What's your secret for getting housework done? Do you do laundry online? The sheer number of projects y'all are working on was stunning. I did a rough count, and of the 125 folks who mentioned a project, about half of you are working on more than one project at once. Shawls/stoles were by far the most popular type of project (46 knitters making those); socks were in second place (35). Then came short-sleeved tanks/tees (23), and afghans/home items (18). The next most popular group was cardigans (16), baby items (15), pullovers (12), and bags (11).

I feel strangely compelled to give a congratulatory shout-out to Rosy, who said that she just finished knitting "a pink and black outfit" for her cat, Rascal. The congratulations are for both of the parties involved: to Rascal, for being calm enough to wear a knitted garment; and to Rosy, for having the chutzpah to even conceive of knitting an outfit for a cat. (Do I want to see a photo? I'm not really sure.)

So you can see by the picture above how my weekend knitting went...how about yours?

The Icelandic Lace Shawl

Icelandic Lace Shawl: Corrections and Updated Yarn Info

The Icelandic Lace Shawl pattern appears to be a big hit! Several of you asked to see a "full-length" photo of the shawl. Unfortunately, the photo at right was all we had in the archives. However, Sarah has a photo on her blog of the one she did a couple of years ago, in lovely shades of grey, green, blue, and purple. Beautiful job, Sarah!

Anyone else out there have a photo of a finished Icelandic Lace Shawl they would like to share? Someone in the Lacy Shawl group, perhaps? Email me and let me know if you do!

Pattern correction: Please note that sharp-eyed Mary J. of the comments has already found an error in the symbol key for the charts on page 5. The correction is on the pattern information page in red, and the PDF has been updated as of today (7/23). You might want to either mark your copy or download the updated PDF.

Yarn Amounts: There was confusion over the yarn amounts listed for the shawl. The first reference ("100% wool; 2240 yd [2048 m]/16 oz [454 g]") is NOT how much yarn is required for the shawl; it is simply how many yards-per-pound are on the standard one-pound cone. Read a bit further and you will see a smaller amount designated for each color (3.5 oz natural white, for example). You can convert this into approximate yardage with a little math. (2240 yd/lb divided by 16 oz/lb = 140 yd/oz; 3.5 oz times 140 yd/oz = 490 yd natural white; and so on.)

I've put yardage equivalents for each color on the pattern info page, as well as the total amount needed if you are making the shawl all one color. And I included the metric equivalents for our international knitters as well!

Coming up: I've got some blocking tips based on your comments from Friday's post! Plus, results of the Lace Survey. You can still answer the question "What kind of lace knitter are you?" if you haven't yet responded.

Some of you are probably wondering why I'm asking so many questions. Well...we have a gadzillion patterns in our Interweave archives, and I'm trying to figure out the sorts of patterns y'all like to knit, so Knitting Daily can give you more of what you want! I mean, it would be silly to give you tea cozy patterns if what you really wanted were more patterns for sweaters for your cat. Knitting Daily is for YOU. Let us know what you think!

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

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Ta-DA! The Icelandic Lace Shawl from PieceWork

KD Sandi — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Just for you: The Icelandic Lace Shawl

I absolutely LOVED reading all the different clever solutions you folks have come up with to use as blocking surfaces ... amazing. I do think, however, that Jen S. gets the Creative Gold Star for the week:

For items that just need to be patted into shape and dried flat, I use our trampoline on a sunny day. The black mesh surface allows air flow from both sides and soaks up heat to dry knits quickly.

I shared her idea at a meeting yesterday, and one of the other editors said with a laugh, "Now, THAT's ingenuity!"

To everyone else who contributed their blocking board solutions: Thank you! They were so good, in fact, that I'm thinking of how to best organize them and make them available for reference on the Knitting Daily website somehow. Maybe in the Techniques section? Let me muse over that for a bit and see what might work.

We'll have more on blocking next week...but it's Friday, and thus time for a little Knitting Daily treat.

Fresh from the archives of PieceWork magazine, I am proud to present: The Icelandic Lace Shawl.

I asked Jeane Hutchins, the editor-in-chief of PieceWork magazine, if she would like to write up a little piece about how the shawl came to Knitting Daily:

I am so pleased that the Icelandic Shawl project from PieceWork’s out-of-print July/August 1996 issue is becoming a part of Knitting Daily. The list of people responsible for bringing this to fruition is lengthy and begins with PieceWork’s first editor, Veronica Patterson, who assigned the project, followed by Carol Noble who adapted the design and wrote the instructions. Next comes the member of the knitalong who (just last week) took the extra time to let Amy Sapp, a member of our customer support staff, know that there were people who wanted to make this shawl. Amy forwarded the e-mail about the knitalong to me, and I talked to several people to see how best to get this material into the hands of those who wanted it: Knitting Daily would be the perfect venue. So next on the list is our fabulous technical editor, Lori Gayle. And then there’s Sandi, Kat, and the rest of the web team who made it all happen. So there you have it! My personal thanks to each of one on my list. To those of you who will knit the shawl—enjoy!

All right, shawl fans, there you have it! And remember: We all are going to want photos of your shawls for a Knitting Daily photo gallery.

It's a short post today...because I am off to talk with Eunny Jang, the new editor of Interweave Knits magazine! I'm interviewing Eunny about her very first issue as editor, what kinds of goodies she has planned for the Fall issue of Knits, and more. Knitting Daily will have that interview—and other treats—ready for you in August to celebrate the publication of the Fall 2007 issue of Knits.
Norah Gaughan's Bonsai Tunic

What are you knitting this weekend? I'm casting on for the Bonsai Tunic by Norah Gaughan from the Spring 2007 issue of Knits magazine. I've had the lovely bamboo Bonsai yarn from Berroco sitting there staring at me for a while now, just begging to be next on the needles. But I'd like to hear what's on YOUR needles. Leave a comment telling us about your current project, and maybe I'll use it as an example in the posts about blocking next week. (Personalized blocking tips! How cool is that?)

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

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Questions, Questions: The Shawl, The Darts, And More

KD Sandi — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Coming Soon: Icelandic Lace Shawl

Sometimes the best part of writing a post is getting to answer back someone who leaves a really great comment:

Dear Eirwen in Wales,
I am so sorry that visions of the gorgeous Icelandic Shawl have distracted you from your previously-scheduled vacation knitting (of a gorgeous silk lace-and-cables sweater, no less). Be strong. The shawl pattern will be waiting for you upon your return. (Unless, of course, you want to fly me to Crete? I could bring the printout straight to the beach, perhaps.)
Yours in lace knitting, Sandi

Update on the Icelandic Shawl pattern: We discovered a correction to the original chart, so the whole thing has gone off to the tech editor for a thorough check-up, and we will post the PDF later this week, as soon as it is ready! As an additional treat, we will also be posting the original article on Icelandic Shawls that appeared with the pattern in the 1996 issue of PieceWork.

Fireside Lace Edging

As a teaser, our featured free pattern this week is also from PieceWork magazine: Fireside Lace, an easy lace edging from the 1800's that you can use anywhere to add a lovely (and authentic!) vintage touch. The original was worked in crochet cotton, but you could work it in sock yarn, DK weight...I'd love to know what creative ways y'all can come up with to use this cute edging.

Customizing For Your Own Curves

As promised, I am working on a Bust Dart PDF with the actual Bust Dart Numbers, as well as instructions on how to customize for your own curves. I've spent a chunk of time researching numbers for you gals whose curves are either smaller or larger than my own, and this has proved to be more frustrating than I had anticipated. The Official Research Numbers, as any of you can probably guess, often have little to do with Real Women And Real Bodies. (If you want a great-fitting bra, are you able to confidently walk in and buy one off the rack without trying it on? Not on your life, which is my point exactly.) To make matters worse, the Official Research Numbers vary widely from one expert to another; there are even reports that a B-cup in a 34B bra is smaller than a B-cup in a 38B bra.

Real Knitting For Real Curves

No wonder we women have trouble finding clothes--or knitting patterns--that fit! And no wonder so many of you were so excited by the concept of bust darts, whether they are formed with vertical shaping (as mine are) or short-rows.

So, here's the deal:

It is not The Interweave Way to publish knitting information unless it is Great Knitting Information. (Sure, we make mistakes sometimes, such as leaving out the schematics in last week's version of the Charm Wrap...oops. A new PDF with the schematics included has been posted, with my apologies.) For all you Bust Dartage Fans, for example, I'd rather take the time to get the numbers right than rush it and have some of you end up with a bust dart on your left hip. However, I know many of you are anxiously awaiting SOMETHING.

Here's my question: While you are waiting for the Whole Dart Tamale, would you like to have an interim PDF, documenting my specific alterations for my size only, perhaps giving hints and suggestions for other sizes? Leave a comment and let me know if you don't mind waiting or if you'd like a sneak peek.

From Your Comments: Q&A

"Wow! Do you get to knit at work, or do you just knit really fast? I think it would take me a month to get Tomato done..." (Lauren H.) Knitters are always curious as to whether Interweavers get to knit at work or not! A lot of us here knit during meetings or at lunchtime, but the rest of the time, we have too much other work to do to be able to knit during the work day. I knit after work, on the weekends...just like everyone else. I don't knit very fast at all--in fact, I am a wee bit self-conscious about my lack of speed. I am, however, persistent, and will get up early to knit to meet a deadline. And Lauren, a month is just about right: With all the ripping I had to do to get the mods on my Tomato right, it took me three weeks to finish it.

"Yes, it's great but what do you mean you haven't blocked it yet? Don't you have to block the pieces before you sew them together? Very curious..." (Anonymous Knitter) You're absolutely correct--if the Tomato had been knit in pieces, I certainly would have had to block each piece before seaming. However, the Tomato is done in the round...so I could get away with not blocking it before wearing it.

"I love the Charm Wrap cardigan. But as I am in Europe (Netherlands), I have no idea what to do with your inches, needle size etc and description of 'worsted' yarns. It would such a great help to have a 'translation' list. Do you know where I can find something like this? By the way, your Hot Tomato is great and suits you well." (Mieke) Great point, Mieke. All our pattern PDFs have both metric and English measurements for sizing, needles, and yarn label information. However, conversion tables and/or links would be a great addition to Knitting Daily. I also will try to be better about putting equivalents in my posts!

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

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A Hot Tomato, An Icelandic Shawl, And A Charming Tip

KD Sandi — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Hot Tomato Salsa!

It is Friday the 13th, a traditional "bad luck day" in the U.S.--but I am throwing caution to the winds and wearing my fresh-off-the-needles Hot Tomato. I realize that in doing so, I am making myself a target for coffee accidents, spaghetti spills, and other natural disasters which might be attracted to my new bright-orange sweater. I scoff, nay: I laugh in the face of stains and dribbles, because folks, even if I do say so myself, this top is HOT. (I am no fool, however. I drank my coffee before I got dressed, and I am on a strict water-and-colorless-food diet until I get home from work tonight.) It's not blocked yet, because I finished it literally fifteen minutes before leaving the house. So the photo here is just a sneak preview. Next week, I'll give you a rundown on the modifications I made to the original Tomato, and give you a Hot Tomato Bust Dart PDF status check.

Out of the archives!

Last week, Jeane Hutchins,
Coming Next Week: Icelandic Lace Shawl the editor of PieceWork magazine, received word that the Yahoo Lacey Shawl knitalong was desperately seeking copies of the pattern for a gorgeous Icelandic Shawl published in the July/August 1996 issue of PieceWork. This issue is out of print, and thus a lot of lace knitters are very sad. Sad lace knitters...not good, people. We want happy lace knitters! So Jeane and I came up with a Plan: Guess what pattern is coming to Knitting Daily next week? Yep. The Icelandic Shawl, fresh from the Interweave archives. At first, we worried that we wouldn't be able to dig it up, as not everything from that time period was saved in a digital format. But Jeane valiantly kept searching, until at last she found the original text and transparencies for the pattern! Our star production department is working on getting this into top digital form for next week.

"I didn't know PieceWork had knitting patterns in it!" Yup. Each issue, PieceWork magazine features one or more knitting projects
PieceWork July/August 2007 with a rich cultural and/or historical perspective--as well as articles and patterns for everything from tatting to embroidery, quilting to crochet. Well-known knitting designer and author Nancy Bush is PieceWork's knitting contributor. The July/August 2007 issue has a wonderful story about a woman who traveled through Russia by train, and found herself buying several Russian knitted lace heirlooms along the way. Instructions for knitting a Russian lace scarf are also included.

Charm Wrap Chatter

Several of you noted that the oh-so-luscious Classic Elite Charmed yarn recommended for the Charm Wrap is more of a luxury yarn than an everyday sort of yarn...what to do if you have a everyday budget but you still want to knit that darling cardigan? Substituting yarns is a great way to "personalize" a pattern and really make it yours! There are two factors that go into successful yarn substitutions: gauge, and the character of the yarn itself. The original yarn used for the Charm Wrap is a worsted weight yarn, with a gauge of 4.5 sts per inch on size 8 needles--so start your search for a substitute with worsted (CYCA #4) yarns with a similar recommended gauge.

Next: The original cashmere/mohair blend has a lovely drape; the mohair and cashmere each have a bit of "grab" to them so that the stitches hold onto each other and the fabric keeps its shape. You'll want to find a yarn with similar characteristics for a similar look and feel. There are plenty of wools and wool blends out there that would fit that description. But what if you wanted something slightly exotic that was still not too pricey? There are some wonderful worsted weight bamboo yarns out there this season. In fact, I'm working on a sweater using Classic Elite Bam Boo right now, and I adore the drape, the sheen, and the slight touch of "memory" this yarn has. Whichever yarn you choose, don't be stingy with the swatching, as that will be the best "gauge" of how the finished product will turn out.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.